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Links and Instructions for Data Collection
Back
to Fall
Habitat Observations
Location:
Record the name of your town and state/province. Also record your
latitude and longitude ("global address"). Practice
using these so students are ready when they report migration observations
to Journey North maps.
Photoperiod: Record
today's sunrise and sunset, then calculate today's photoperiod.
("Photoperiod"
means length of day. Count
the hours and minutes between sunrise and sunset to calculate photoperiod.)
Temperatures:
Record
today's high and low temperatures. Then calculate today's
average temperature. If you don't have time to make
regular measurements, record predicted tempeatures for actual temperatures
as recorded in your local newspaper or on the web.
Plants
Flowers:
Monarchs
need to find nectar all along their migration route to Mexico.
Can you find any flowers in bloom today? How do the
flowers change over time? What happens to the flowers when
frost occurs? Keep track of the last
date you see flowers.
Milkweed:
Monarchs need milkweed to reproduce. They also need warm temperatures.
(It takes about one month to grow from egg to adult when average
temperatures are about 70F. In colder temperatures, it takes much
longer). Can monarchs find the plants they need to reproduce
where you live? Are temperatures warm enough, long enough?
Monarch Butterflies
Watch
for monarchs. If you don't see any, check Journey North's migration
maps to see if people nearby are seeing monarchs. When
and where are the nearest sightings? Measure the distance
from your hometown, and record.
Is
your habitat suitable for monarchs today? Why
or why not? Consider food, water, shelter, and space. Which
components are already missing or in short supply? Which
components do you think will be gone soon?
Can
you find any monarch eggs or larvae on milkweed? Count the
number of eggs & larvae per plant and record. (This indicates
whether the monarchs in or passing through your region could be
in reproductive condition.)
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